The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) has arrested a suspect, Hafsat Abubakar, for allegedly creating and circulating a forged document falsely claiming that a fintech company was shutting down its operations.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that a claim went viral last week, warning that OPay, a leading fintech company, would shut down operations on 01 September.
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The claim further advised customers to withdraw their money before the rumoured shutdown.
The fintech company issued a statement on X, debunking the claim and describing it as “false.”
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At a press conference organised to clarify the situation, OPay’s Chief Legal Counsel, Akinfolabi Moses, said the police and the State Security Service (SSS) were investigating the matter.
Suspect arrested
Ani Iniedu, the police spokesperson, disclosed at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday that Ms Abubakar was arrested after a forensic investigation that traced the originality of the claim to an X account operated by her, according to Channels TV.
Mr Iniedu disclosed that the suspect was arrested on 4 September.
ALSO READ: SSS, Police investigating those behind viral shutdown claim – OPay
OPay had earlier identified two accounts on X, saying it wrote to them and demanded that they take down the publication.
It is not clear if any of these accounts are linked to the arrested suspect. However, the police spokesperson stated that investigations were still ongoing.
He reiterated the police’s commitment to tackling cybercrime, including the spread of false information capable of undermining public confidence in businesses and institutions.
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